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Evaluating the prevalence and distribution of dependent self†employment: some lessons from the European Working Conditions Survey

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  • Colin C. Williams
  • Ioana Alexandra Horodnic

Abstract

This article advances understanding of the prevalence and distribution of dependent self†employment. Analysing the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey of 35,765 employees in 28 European countries, the dependent self†employed are found to comprise 4.3% (1 in 23) of the EU workforce, 47% of all those reporting themselves as self†employed without employees and 31% of all self†employed. The prevalence of dependent self†employment, however, is found to have decreased since the previous 2010 survey, is not found to be concentrated among marginalised population groups and is significantly more likely in agriculture, forestry and fishing, arts, entertainment, recreation and other service activities, and the household services sector. The implications for theorising and tackling dependent self†employment are discussed.

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  • Colin C. Williams & Ioana Alexandra Horodnic, 2018. "Evaluating the prevalence and distribution of dependent self†employment: some lessons from the European Working Conditions Survey," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(2), pages 109-127, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:49:y:2018:i:2:p:109-127
    DOI: 10.1111/irj.12206
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    Cited by:

    1. Pouliakas, Konstantinos & Ranieri, Antonio, 2022. "Hybrid (Solo)Self-Employment and Upskilling: Is Online Platform Work a Path Towards Entrepreneurship?," IZA Discussion Papers 15344, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Colin C. Williams, 2023. "A Modern Guide to the Informal Economy," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 18668.
    3. Virginia Navajas-Romero & Rosalía Díaz-Carrión & Antonio Ariza-Montes, 2019. "Decent Work as Determinant of Work Engagement on Dependent Self-Employed," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-17, April.
    4. Rolf, Steven & O'Reilly, Jacqueline & Meryon, Marc, 2022. "Towards privatized social and employment protections in the platform economy? Evidence from the UK courier sector," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(5).
    5. Rossella Bozzon & Annalisa Murgia, 2022. "Independent or Dependent? European Labour Statistics and Their (In)ability to Identify Forms of Dependency in Self-employment," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(1), pages 199-226, February.
    6. Pilar García Perea & Concepción Román, 2019. "Characterisation of self-employment in Spain from a European perspective," Economic Bulletin, Banco de España, issue JUN.
    7. Hyojin Seo, 2021. "‘Dual’ labour market? Patterns of segmentation in European labour markets and the varieties of precariousness," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 27(4), pages 485-503, November.
    8. Dvouletý, Ondřej, 2020. "Classifying self-employed persons using segmentation criteria available in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) data," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).

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